TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WIAT) – A 15-year-old boy who claimed he accidentally shot his 14-year-old friend is now charged with assault. He is being held in an area juvenile detention center.

Tuscaloosa police spokesman Sgt. Dale Phillips says the 14-year-old boy was shot in the chest on Aug. 8 at a home on Crabtree Road.

The boy was taken to DCH Medical Center and transported to Children’s of Alabama for treatment. He’s listed in critical condition but is expected to survive.

Phillips says the 15-year-old was taken into custody and questioned. He told authorities he and his friends were playing with a gun inside the home. The 15-year-old racked the gun and pulled the trigger as the 14-year-old attempted to walk past him.

The suspect told authorities he did not intentionally shoot the 14-year-old.